Visual Arts

All practical art courses offered by the Center for Arts allow students the flexibility to pose and solve various tasks based on one’s preparedness, personality and level of skills because a lot of the supervising and instructing is individual.

The university provides students with easels, planks and trestles.

Depending on the course, students need to acquire necessary materials themselves. For example: paper, cardboard, canvas, pencils, eraser, painting supplies (paints, brushes, palette, cups and cloths), charcoal, thumbtack or scotch tape, protective gear such as apron, gown and gloves. Information that is more detailed is available in the description of the specific course and/or upon registering to the course.

The purpose of the course is to provide a basic theoretical and practical knowledge in calligraphy to develop the student's fine motor skills, observational and analytical skills, sense of proportion and aesthetics through practical exercises and thereby develop the students handwriting.

Theoretical and practical tasks are closely intertwined, with the emphasis on working with the calligraphic pen. At lectures, the student acquires the terminology deriving from the historical development of the calligraphic art, its basic typefaces and the compositional principles.

In the practical part, a comprehensive and extensive corpus of ornamentational and classical Penman exercises are followed.

The course provides basic knowledge and skills in high-quality linocut printing. In addition to technical techniques, students will learn how to design work, solve compositional problems, and purposefully and consciously execute a design.

The theoretical and practical tasks are closely intertwined, with emphasis on acquiring technical skills and performing the linoleum cut. The course starts with technical exercises, goes through a monochrome linocut graphic design and finishes with 2-3 color linocut graphic design and authoring work.

The course is divided into two parts: The theoretical part provides basic knowledge about the theory of composition, terminology and analysis in the form of a richly illustrated lectures.

In the second part of the course participants apply and test previously acquired theoretical knowledge through a variety of composition assignments. Emphasis is on the elements of pictures, composition principles and forms of abstraction in order to become confident and free in creative expression.

To whom: This course is open for all students. The experience of drawing, sketching or painting will be useful, but you can also participate without prior experience.

The course learns to recognise and draw facial features and expressions based on your face.
As a person perceives and feels his / her face best, it is a gratifying tool for learning about different forms of face and personality. In addition, your face allows you to play through countless expressions and emotions that are also felt inside. Therefore, self-portrait is one of the sincerest portrait types. As a result of sketches and drafts, at least two self-portraits will be produced during the course. There will also be examples of self-portraits from art history and contemporary art introduced during the course.

Necessary materials for the participant: personal work equipment according to your preference and possibilities. More information from the lecturer.

To whom: This course is open for all students who wish to brush up their skills on drawing based on physical objects. The course will be for beginners as well as for advanced groups.

The course improves students’ skills on how to visualize figures stylistically, graphically and technically. Students will depict a human body in different intensive poses through which one’s sense of proportion, accuracy of anatomical form, stylistically freedom, technical cognition and the effectiveness of graphical implementation will develop.

The course develops the students' creative confidence, includes discussions about sketching as an art form and deals with the message and concept as well as technical skill in the students' work. Everyone who wishes to refresh their skills or develop the skills they already have, are welcome to join.

The student must have their own drawing paper/ sketch pad and drawing supplies.

The course is meant for all, especially beginners in art. No previous skills are needed. The course is both for those who seek "pure art" improvisation experience, skills, joy and also for those who are interested in art as an additional tool used to support other fields - e.g. as a source for creativity, tool for brainstorming new ideas, for creative illustration, but also perhaps as a tool for rational analysis and interdisciplinary synergy.

There will be ready exercises but there is also freedom to improvise and experiment. Participants are welcome to connect the process with their own field of activity / study / project or some other personal topic. Exercise examples: impromaps, blind drawing, co-operative drawing, emotion / status drawing, theme drawing, cliche.

At the course, students learn to experiment with multilayered renaissance techniques and use them in the context of contemporary art. The course focuses on the technical issues of painting such as undercoating, sublayers, increasing the saturation of the paint layer and proceeding from layer to layer towards a finished art work. During the course the student learns to make and use painting liquids, completes the painting on a freely chosen subject supported by the traditional techniques.

Upon successful completion of the course the student:
- has gained the skill to make and use painting liquids,
- is able to consciously paint a multilayered painting,
- has knowledge of traditional painting materials and how to prepare them,
- is able to understand the technical process of painting.

Needed materials by student: oil paints and oli paint brushes, paper/cardboard, turpentine, cloths/rags, palette, cup, tape or pins, apron and rubber cloves in case of sensitive skin. Approximate cost of materials during the course is 30-50 euros. More detailed information from the lecturer.

To whom: For everyone who is interested to develop the skills of interpreting works of art and in deepening their knowledge about the story behind an artwork and art exhibition as well as looking at the multi-layered relationships between art and contemporary societies.

The course will take you to exhibition halls and galleries to meet the artwork. Mythological minimalism and the ironic reality in painting with its relation to the critique of consumerism are just some of the possible topics under discussion in the seminars.

This course helps to deepen the comprehension of artworks via different angles, for example through studying the artists’ techniques and how they are connected to the present time. We look how a curated or artist-made exhibition influences the perceptions of the viewer.

The students will be keeping a diary the whole time and the course will conclude with a written work. PS! Please consider the cost of some exhibition visits in your budget.

To whom: This practical course is intended for everyone who wish to acquire basic skills and technical aspects on modelling and plastics as well as to develop one’s skills with handling clay.

Throughout the course, students will model a clay portrait figure on a pre-prepared stand. One important part of the course is also to familiarize oneself with the various samples of portraits from art history. Students also learn the structure of brain and skeleton, and how to build it based on the basics of plastic and functional anatomy. Participants will also learn to handle with different form’ problems of three-dimensional objects and learn how to express statics, dynamics, volume and proportions.

To whom: This course consists mostly of practical workshops and is intended for students who wish to acquire the basics skills for realistic drawing and to develop one’s technical skills.

Throughout the course, students will learn the basics for drawing, learn how to draw realistic still-life pieces and people, discover how to work with light and shadows and also learn deal with problems of space and form. Moving from easier tasks to more complicated ones, participants will acquire a very wide range of drawing and visualisation skills.

To whom: This course consists of practical workshops and lectures, and is intended for all students who wish to get an overview about the characteristics of comic art, its vocabulary, different genres as well as to gain practical skills on how to make one’s own narrative series of pictures.

The course gives an overview about the terminology used in the comics industry, technical possibilities and requirements, and about the main problems between picture and text. Throughout the course, students will create their own manuscript for comics, fine-tune it through practical tasks and acquire specific skills on the process as a whole: character design, 3D-view of the figure, surroundings.

To whom: This course consists of practical workshops and lectures and is intended for all students who wish to acquire knowledge on different ways how to implement illustration, its history as well as to get practical skills in order to plan and carry out an illustration for one’s research, article or any other piece of work.

The theoretical part of the course introduces the different types of illustrations, how they are used, its history as well as the cultural meaning of illustrations. Practical part of the course concentrates on the acquisition of technically accurate and aesthetical whole results by using manual work and different techniques (graphite, india ink, coloured pencils, watercolours, gouache). Participants will observe different stages of the work process and its specifics when illustrating for fictions or as well as for the scientific text.

To whom: All who want to learn to paint realistically or just starting their way in the field of visual arts.

The course will give a technical basis for realistic painting style. The course starts out with simpler still-life painting and moves gradually towards full nudes. The program consists: projection of the three-dimensional objects onto the surface, colour management and measurement techniques. Main focus is on obtaining skills to see and measure correct proportions, plausible material effects, delicate light space and clear structure so that future work could be easily controlled. Creative dilemma - the boundary between freedom and discipline. Half of lessons are instructed. The other half is for developing student’s own ideas.

The course is meant for all doctoral students, especially beginners in art. No previous skills are needed. Improvisational drawing mostly on paper, also with colours (ink, pencil, color pencil, watercolour, possibly digital).

The course is both for those who seek "pure art" improvisation experience, skills, joy and also for those who are interested in art as an additional tool used to support other fields - e.g. as a source for creativity, tool for brainstorming new ideas, for creative illustration, but also perhaps as a tool for rational analysis and interdisciplinary synergy.

There will be ready exercises but there is also freedom to improvise and experiment. Participants are welcome to connect the process with their own field of activity / study / project or some other personal topic. Exercise examples: impromaps, blind drawing, co-operative drawing, emotion / status drawing, theme drawing, cliche.

The participant will have basic usable skills in:

- how to improvise, stylize, abstract using drawing, incl how to see and "draw out" forms, patterns, symbols in abstract lines;
- how to create usable visual stylized illustrative material e.g. for their own projects.
- The student will have better general knowledge of the field of art, including various purposes of art, e.g. support and synergizing of various other fields.

At the course, students learn to experiment with multilayered renaissance techniques and use them in the context of contemporary art. The course focuses on the technical issues of painting such as undercoating, sublayers, increasing the saturation of the paint layer and proceeding from layer to layer towards a finished art work. During the course the student learns to make and use painting liquids, completes the painting on a freely chosen subject supported by the traditional techniques.

Upon successful completion of the course the student:
- has gained the skill to make and use painting liquids,
- is able to consciously paint a multilayered painting,
- has knowledge of traditional painting materials and how to prepare them,
- is able to understand the technical process of painting.

Needed materials by student: oil paints and oli paint brushes, paper/cardboard, turpentine, cloths/rags, palette, cup, tape or pins, apron and rubber cloves in case of sensitive skin. Approximate cost of materials during the course is 30-50 euros. More detailed information from the lecturer.

To whom: The course is mainly for Medicine students, but also others are welcome who are interested to acquire the basics of medical sculpture modelling and plastic, technical characteristics and developing the manual skills in handling clay and gypsum.

Practical work involves modelling human skull and musculature based on the principles of normal anatomy and repetition of anatomical terminology through practical work. After finishing the muscle head there will be taking of negative gypsum mould and, in turn, a taking the positive mould and a practical assignment of cleaning and finishing.

To whom: This practical course is intended for everyone who wish to acquire basic skills and technical aspects on modelling and plastics as well as to develop one’s skills with handling clay.

Throughout the course, students will model a clay portrait figure on a pre-prepared stand. One important part of the course is also to familiarize oneself with the various samples of portraits from art history. Students also learn the structure of brain and skeleton, and how to build it based on the basics of plastic and functional anatomy. Participants will also learn to handle with different form’ problems of three-dimensional objects and learn how to express statics, dynamics, volume and proportions.

The course requires drawing skills and is ment for all who wisht to develop their skills in depicting anatomically poignant human body.

The goal of this course is to improve the students' ability of observation and expression by providing a basic understanding of the structures of the human body. Anatomy of the human body - proportions, nomenclature, bone structure, and muscles in action and in a static state.

To whom: This course is open for all students who wish to brush up their skills on drawing based on physical objects. The course will be for beginners as well as for advanced groups.

The course improves students’ skills on how to visualize figures stylistically, graphically and technically. Students will depict a human body in different intensive poses through which one’s sense of proportion, accuracy of anatomical form, stylistically freedom, technical cognition and the effectiveness of graphical implementation will develop.

To whom: This course consists mostly of practical workshops and is intended for students who wish to acquire the basics skills for realistic drawing and to develop one’s technical skills.

Throughout the course, students will learn the basics for drawing, learn how to draw realistic still-life pieces and people, discover how to work with light and shadows and also learn deal with problems of space and form. Moving from easier tasks to more complicated ones, participants will acquire a very wide range of drawing and visualization skills.

Theoretical part of the course gives an overview of the terms of science illustration, its requirements, and the problems of balancing visualization and science. In practical works, students will demonstrate their understanding and theoretical knowledge trough exercises in science illustration.

After completing the course students:
- know how to use scientifically informed observation;
- have the know-how to analyse a subject and combine technical and aesthetic skills in its visualisation;
- accurately portray a subject.

To whom: All who want to learn to paint realistically or just starting their way in the field of visual arts.

The course will give a technical basis for realistic painting style. The course starts out with simpler still-life painting and moves gradually towards full nudes. The program consists: projection of the three-dimensional objects onto the surface, colour management and measurement techniques. Main focus is on obtaining skills to see and measure correct proportions, plausible material effects, delicate light space and clear structure so that future work could be easily controlled. Creative dilemma - the boundary between freedom and discipline. Half of lessons are instructed. The other half is for developing student’s own ideas.

The course is meant for all, especially beginners in art. No previous skills are needed. The course is both for those who seek "pure art" improvisation experience, skills, joy and also for those who are interested in art as an additional tool used to support other fields - e.g. as a source for creativity, tool for brainstorming new ideas, for creative illustration, but also perhaps as a tool for rational analysis and interdisciplinary synergy.

There will be ready exercises but there is also freedom to improvise and experiment. Participants are welcome to connect the process with their own field of activity / study / project or some other personal topic. Exercise examples: impromaps, blind drawing, co-operative drawing, emotion / status drawing, theme drawing, cliche.

To whom: For everyone who is interested to develop the skills of interpreting works of art and in deepening their knowledge about the story behind an artwork and art exhibition as well as looking at the multi-layered relationships between art and contemporary societies.

The course will take you to exhibition halls and galleries to meet the artwork. Mythological minimalism and the ironic reality in painting with its relation to the critique of consumerism are just some of the possible topics under discussion in the seminars.

This course helps to deepen the comprehension of artworks via different angles, for example through studying the artists’ techniques and how they are connected to the present time. We look how a curated or artist-made exhibition influences the perceptions of the viewer.

The students will be keeping a diary the whole time and the course will conclude with a written work. PS! Please consider the cost of some exhibition visits in your budget.

To whom: This practical course is intended for everyone who wish to acquire basic skills and technical aspects on modelling and plastics as well as to develop one’s skills with handling clay.

Throughout the course, students will model a clay portrait figure on a pre-prepared stand. One important part of the course is also to familiarize oneself with the various samples of portraits from art history. Students also learn the structure of brain and skeleton, and how to build it based on the basics of plastic and functional anatomy. Participants will also learn to handle with different form’ problems of three-dimensional objects and learn how to express statics, dynamics, volume and proportions.

To whom: This course is open for all students who wish to brush up their skills on drawing based on physical objects. The course will be for beginners as well as for advanced groups. The course improves students’ skills on how to visualize figures stylistically, graphically and technically. Students will depict a human body in different intensive poses through which one’s sense of proportion, accuracy of anatomical form, stylistically freedom, technical cognition and the effectiveness of graphical implementation will develop.

To whom: This course consists mostly of practical workshops and is intended for students who wish to acquire the basics skills for realistic drawing and to develop one’s technical skills.

Throughout the course, students will learn the basics for drawing, learn how to draw realistic still-life pieces and people, discover how to work with light and shadows and also learn deal with problems of space and form. Moving from easier tasks to more complicated ones, participants will acquire a very wide range of drawing and visualization skills.

To whom: This course consists of practical workshops and lectures, and is intended for all students who wish to get an overview about the characteristics of comic art, its vocabulary, different genres as well as to gain practical skills on how to make one’s own narrative series of pictures.

The course gives an overview about the terminology used in the comics industry, technical possibilities and requirements, and about the main problems between picture and text. Throughout the course, students will create their own manuscript for comics, fine-tune it through practical tasks and acquire specific skills on the process as a whole: character design, 3D-view of the figure, surroundings.

To whom: This course consists of practical workshops and lectures and is intended for all students who wish to acquire knowledge on different ways how to implement illustration, its history as well as to get practical skills in order to plan and carry out an illustration for one’s research, article or any other piece of work.

The theoretical part of the course introduces the different types of illustrations, how they are used, its history as well as the cultural meaning of illustrations. Practical part of the course concentrates on the acquisition of technically accurate and aesthetical whole results by using manual work and different techniques (graphite, india ink, coloured pencils, watercolours, gouache). Participants will observe different stages of the work process and its specifics when illustrating for fictions or as well as for the scientific text.

To whom: All who want to learn to paint realistically or just starting their way in the field of visual arts.

The course will give a technical basis for realistic painting style. The course starts out with simpler still-life painting and moves gradually towards full nudes. The program consists: projection of the three-dimensional objects onto the surface, colour management and measurement techniques. Main focus is on obtaining skills to see and measure correct proportions, plausible material effects, delicate light space and clear structure so that future work could be easily controlled. Creative dilemma - the boundary between freedom and discipline. Half of lessons are instructed. The other half is for developing student’s own ideas.

To whom: For all who wish to acquire knowledge about how to paint systematically and learn creating a figurative or nonfigurative body of works with an original approach.

Composition of figurative and non-figurative painting. Analysis and synthesis, deconstruction and construction as a systematic way of creation. Theme and medium as perfect companions working for the one simple purpose of a great painting.

Needed materials by student: canvases or cardboards, oil paints, turpentine (please use only natural resin turpentine, available from building materials shops. In case of water based oil paints no turpentine is needed) or acrylic paints, brushes, cloths/rags, palette, cup, charcoal, tape or pins, apron and rubber cloves in case of sensitive skin.